Nuclear power provides high-quality cancer treatment
Nuclear power is often associated with arms race between nations in the media. However, if used for healthier purposes, it also provides groundbreaking cancer treatment. The Korea Cancer Center Hospital (KCCH) under the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Science (KIRAMS) applied cyber knife - the latest nuclear-powered treatment equipment – for the first time in Korea and has utilized nuclear power for treatment purposes for the last 5 decades, contributing to advancement of radioactive medical technologies, especially radioactive isotope diagnosis and treatment. The following is summary of my pleasant talks with Rhee Chang-Hun, the president of KCCH.
I understand KCCH is a government-funded institute established in 1963 and operating 18 cancer centers based on its 50 years of know-how in cancer treatment. Please fill me in with more details.
It started from the Institute of Radiation Medicine Research Center in 1963, when cobalt treatment – the best radiation treatment back then – was first introduced in the hospital. Then in 1969, gynecologic cancer checkup vehicle was introduced to provide traveling clinic for the purpose of promotion and treatment of uterine cancer. From then on, people began to think that they have to go to the KCCH if they have cancer.
KCCH has strength in efficient cooperative treatment system consisting of skilled cancer specialists. The hospital has 18 cancer centers including Thyroid Cancer, Breast Cancer and Uterine/Ovarian Cancer. The Breast Cancer Center excels in particular, treating more than 20,000 outpatients and doing more than 700 surgeries a year. The Thyroid Cancer Center is also doing more than 700 surgeries a year, providing minimal invasive surgeries such as endoscopic surgery for early-stage thyroid cancer patients to minimize scars and improve patient satisfaction and operating the largest number of radioactive iodine treatment rooms in the country (12 in totals) to help post-surgery recovery. The Lung Cancer Center is boasting excellent surgery performance with full recovery rate of the 1st stage lung cancer at 90% and that of the 2nd stage at more than 50%. The center introduced mediastinal lymph node dissection for the first time in the country to dramatically enhance full recovery rate of lung cancer. The full recovery rate of the 3rd stage lung cancer there is consistently over 30%.
Does your hospital have unique radioactive treatment?
When we use nuclear power for medical purposes, the major diagnosis and treatment tools are radiation and isotope. Our hospital is different from others in that it can produce and study isotope by itself. The hospital is the best cancer hospital with its long history and achievements in isotope diagnosis, treatment and application. In addition, KIRAMS has a center dealing with the isotope-using industries, nuclear power generation and nuclear arms accidents. The center is called National Radiation Emergency Medical Center.
The hospital is also leading cutting-edge cancer diagnosis and treatment by introducing cyber knife surgery for the first time in Korea. Please tell me more about this.
The cyber knife was introduced back in 2002. Cyber knife is an advancement of gamma knife. Gamma knife is used for radiosurgery using gamma rays created from a radio isotope, cobalt, but it can only treat the head. On the other hand, cyber knife can be used for radiosurgery of the whole body as well as the head. Our hospital introduced this equipment for the 2nd time in Asia following Japan, but when we first applied it, cyber knife was being used for head surgeries only in Japan.
I understand KCCH is also providing social contributions such as free check-ups and education for the less privileged at home and abroad on an ongoing basis?
Yes. During the Sewol ferry disaster last year, KCCH recruited volunteers among our medical teams. Many volunteers provided both treatment and emotional support for the bereaved. Accordingly, we dispatched the 2nd group of volunteers. KCCH was the only hospital that dispatched specialized medical volunteers 2 times and the total number of volunteers was 37. Its contribution was recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I think KCCH was able to make greater social contribution thanks to the volunteers who were more than willing to understand and help the patients placed in difficult situation.
What are the future strategies and goals of KCCH?
We have 2 major projects for the future. The first one is development of Korean-style heavy ion medical accelerator.
Heavy ion medical accelerator, a.k.a “Dream of cancer curer”, is made with independent technology of Korea. I told you that the cyber knife is used for whole-body radiosurgery, but this accelerator has much stronger effect as it has much higher energy than cyber knife.
The heavy ion is better than the existing X-rays in that it delivers 20-30% of radiation before it arrives to the cancerous part within human body, delivers the remaining 70-80% of radiation to the cancerous part and leaves no radiation behind, which prevents damage of normal tissue. Korea Heavy Ion Medical Center (a tentative name) will be completed in Gigang County in Busan by 2017 and the medical heavy ion accelerator will play a major role in Korea’s next generation medical technology and R&D business.
The second project is National project to establish platform to develop the new concept therapy using radioisotope-applied technology. The project based on KIRAM’s radioactive medical technology is in progress with a goal of building infrastructure for development of new radioactive medicine for treatment as well as research of new drugs using radioactive isotope in response to expansion of radioactive medicine market at home and abroad. The platform building project will build the only new drug development support facility using radioactive isotope in Korea by 2017. The facility is expected to make great contributions to Korea’s drug industry by saving time and cost for new drug development using radioactive isotope.
Recently, Korea is becoming increasingly popular destination for medical tourism.
Cancer treatment provided by KCCH for foreign patients is much higher quality than the one they get in their home country. We recently cured a patient from Mongolia who had given up on treatment due to nervous tissue problem.
It started from the Institute of Radiation Medicine Research Center in 1963, when cobalt treatment – the best radiation treatment back then – was first introduced in the hospital. Then in 1969, gynecologic cancer checkup vehicle was introduced to provide traveling clinic for the purpose of promotion and treatment of uterine cancer. From then on, people began to think that they have to go to the KCCH if they have cancer.
KCCH has strength in efficient cooperative treatment system consisting of skilled cancer specialists. The hospital has 18 cancer centers including Thyroid Cancer, Breast Cancer and Uterine/Ovarian Cancer. The Breast Cancer Center excels in particular, treating more than 20,000 outpatients and doing more than 700 surgeries a year. The Thyroid Cancer Center is also doing more than 700 surgeries a year, providing minimal invasive surgeries such as endoscopic surgery for early-stage thyroid cancer patients to minimize scars and improve patient satisfaction and operating the largest number of radioactive iodine treatment rooms in the country (12 in totals) to help post-surgery recovery. The Lung Cancer Center is boasting excellent surgery performance with full recovery rate of the 1st stage lung cancer at 90% and that of the 2nd stage at more than 50%. The center introduced mediastinal lymph node dissection for the first time in the country to dramatically enhance full recovery rate of lung cancer. The full recovery rate of the 3rd stage lung cancer there is consistently over 30%.
Does your hospital have unique radioactive treatment?
When we use nuclear power for medical purposes, the major diagnosis and treatment tools are radiation and isotope. Our hospital is different from others in that it can produce and study isotope by itself. The hospital is the best cancer hospital with its long history and achievements in isotope diagnosis, treatment and application. In addition, KIRAMS has a center dealing with the isotope-using industries, nuclear power generation and nuclear arms accidents. The center is called National Radiation Emergency Medical Center.
The hospital is also leading cutting-edge cancer diagnosis and treatment by introducing cyber knife surgery for the first time in Korea. Please tell me more about this.
The cyber knife was introduced back in 2002. Cyber knife is an advancement of gamma knife. Gamma knife is used for radiosurgery using gamma rays created from a radio isotope, cobalt, but it can only treat the head. On the other hand, cyber knife can be used for radiosurgery of the whole body as well as the head. Our hospital introduced this equipment for the 2nd time in Asia following Japan, but when we first applied it, cyber knife was being used for head surgeries only in Japan.
I understand KCCH is also providing social contributions such as free check-ups and education for the less privileged at home and abroad on an ongoing basis?
Yes. During the Sewol ferry disaster last year, KCCH recruited volunteers among our medical teams. Many volunteers provided both treatment and emotional support for the bereaved. Accordingly, we dispatched the 2nd group of volunteers. KCCH was the only hospital that dispatched specialized medical volunteers 2 times and the total number of volunteers was 37. Its contribution was recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I think KCCH was able to make greater social contribution thanks to the volunteers who were more than willing to understand and help the patients placed in difficult situation.
What are the future strategies and goals of KCCH?
We have 2 major projects for the future. The first one is development of Korean-style heavy ion medical accelerator.
Heavy ion medical accelerator, a.k.a “Dream of cancer curer”, is made with independent technology of Korea. I told you that the cyber knife is used for whole-body radiosurgery, but this accelerator has much stronger effect as it has much higher energy than cyber knife.
The heavy ion is better than the existing X-rays in that it delivers 20-30% of radiation before it arrives to the cancerous part within human body, delivers the remaining 70-80% of radiation to the cancerous part and leaves no radiation behind, which prevents damage of normal tissue. Korea Heavy Ion Medical Center (a tentative name) will be completed in Gigang County in Busan by 2017 and the medical heavy ion accelerator will play a major role in Korea’s next generation medical technology and R&D business.
The second project is National project to establish platform to develop the new concept therapy using radioisotope-applied technology. The project based on KIRAM’s radioactive medical technology is in progress with a goal of building infrastructure for development of new radioactive medicine for treatment as well as research of new drugs using radioactive isotope in response to expansion of radioactive medicine market at home and abroad. The platform building project will build the only new drug development support facility using radioactive isotope in Korea by 2017. The facility is expected to make great contributions to Korea’s drug industry by saving time and cost for new drug development using radioactive isotope.
Recently, Korea is becoming increasingly popular destination for medical tourism.
Cancer treatment provided by KCCH for foreign patients is much higher quality than the one they get in their home country. We recently cured a patient from Mongolia who had given up on treatment due to nervous tissue problem.
#Changhoon Lee #Korea Cancer Center Hospital #Medieus #MDUS #KCCH #cyber knife #radioactive medical technology #cancer treatment # gynecologic cancer # Thyroid Cancer # Breast Cancer #Uterine/Ovarian Cancer # unique radioactive treatment # radiation # isotope # Gamma knife # Dream of cancer curer #kmedical
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